Article by
Marlon Madden

Published on
August 24, 2018

The scariest species of creepy-crawlies in Barbados – centipedes – have apparently invaded part of the Christ Church community of Ealing Park, creating a horror-movie scene for besieged residents.

The pestilence has already forced one occupant to flee her home of ten years she has shared with her son.

The woman, who would only give her name as Eugene, told Barbados TODAY she was desperate for relief, adding that she had reached the point where she has developed anxiety after several attempts to get rid of the insects.“I am not sleeping well. My chest is heavy. I don’t know what else to do,” she complained, moments after returning from a doctor’s visit.

“Two nights ago my son killed two big centipedes outside,” she added as she struggle to compose herself in recounting the ordeal.She has sprayed a variety of insecticides, including gasoline, cleaned surfaces regularly with bleach, even hired a pest control – cost: $2,000; all that was no match for the relentless march of numbers of centipedes into her home, ‘Eugene’ said.

She first spotted the creatures on the day she went to view the house in 2008 when she decided she wanted to buy it – but thought little of the appearance of the common household pest, notorious for its searingly painful bite.“I thought that was it but from then until now I just seeing constant centipede . . . but they never bite me, thank goodness,” she said, as she pointed to the stain from one of her latest kills on Monday morning on a section of the patio floor.

Another resident, Elijah Jean-Baptiste, told Barbados TODAY when he returned to the island on Monday from vacation he was greeted by one of the centipedes in his house.

“I have been here for six months now and I have seen probably about six of them. I guess I normally don’t see them as much because I work for the entire day. I was out on vacation and just came back on Monday and before bed I saw one in my room,” he recalled.

Baptiste, who has been bitten by one before, said he normally sees some “big blackish ones” and he would crush them with shoes, then burn them.

“Right now I am so paranoid. I didn’t even sleep properly last night. Every five or ten minutes I would be waking up looking on the floor and put my lights on. I don’t even want to relax on the couch,” he said, adding that he would welcome any help to get rid of the centipedes.

Another resident, who did not want to be identified, told Barbados TODAY while he did not have the centipedes inside his house they were everywhere outside.

“Definitely there is a centipede problem,” he said.“I don’t have centipedes inside of my house but the minute I step out I see them all over the place . . . I take precautions not to have them inside, but I can tell you that as soon as I step out I see them. So I have to be careful where I put my foot because they are running all over,” he said, adding that they were “pretty big”.

Stating that he would see them about three days in any given week, the concerned resident also lamented that he had no idea what else could be done to help rid the community of them.

In what could be described as a scene from a horror movie, ‘Eugene’ explained that it was constant peeping about for her in her own home, jumping on and off the bed at times, and running to action whenever she spotted one.She explained that the centipedes would show up on the ceiling in various parts of the house including her bedroom, the kitchen, bathroom, even coiled around light switches – and just about anywhere outside.

One even found its way inside her dog’s bowl in the garage recently.

Now at wit’s end, with no idea of what else could be done to ease her anxiety and rid her home of the centipedes, ‘Eugene’ said she would be moving out by next month and seeking to sell the property with the hope that the new owners would be able to find some answers.

“I can’t take it no more. My family is coming in from England and they told me, ‘You can’t break your heart over this.’ I don’t get no sleep. The centipedes are invading here now,” she said.

But it was after talking about it with a neighbour about three years ago that Eugene discovered the previous owners of the house fled the same problem, she added.

Fighting back tears, the mother said “it is worse now. I don’t sleep. I don’t sleep”.“I can’t tek it nuh more. I can’t tek it nuh more. They tell me I get anxiety attack. I can’t tek it nuh more,” she cried, as she recalled one of her latest ordeals in which she fell in an attempt to outrun one of the beasts.

Due to her constant fear of them showing up, Eugene would keep lights on throughout the night, leaving a monthly $300-$400 electricity bill.

It is believed that nearby farm land and an open lot were the breeding grounds for the centipedes. (MM)

The article made it seem that one person was using repellents. Those pesticides r 4 day acting only. I agree with Hardball DUST sevens in the border of garages, door borders, and spray around bed feet, Also forget the harmful bs talk, u eating, breathing, drinking, applying, and even cleaning ur teet with HARMFUL chemicals. PLUG the kitchen sink, bathroom shower/tub holes too. In life U have to get to know ur enemy well.

Carson seems to be still bitter from them blows Mia and that concoction served up!!! Lol!!! I live in St Philip which is known for those crawlers. You just need to spray around the house once a month with Demon or Purlude and you will be fine.

My people who have the centipedes they are two things I know can help the old people use to use diesel and carosene mix for outside and sevens powder and jays fluid for the inside of the house and they use to have something called coopers industrial spray a scentless oil deadly to all those kinds of insects

Anyhow d imf concoction give mek we reduce a little weight but in 3yrs from the the whole economy will be back on track
Ur dlp send home over three thousands black people and all the other black people still continued to suck salt for another five yrs
That why 30 -0
Tek dat concoction in yuh tail

Sevinplus diesel all around the house can help keep them out. There is a product that agro chemicals sell call ZEMA KENNEL AND YARD SPRAYyou connect it to the hose and soak the complete yard. 1bottle covers about 13000 sq ft.it kills all insects. I used it for years when living in st phillip it works well along with sevin. Must spray at first at least every 2 wks. Available at Agro Chemicals spring garden. Does not harm pets.

We will see more of these invading our home due to the earth extreme heating as these creatures seek cooler spaces. I have noticed an increase invasion from pill bugs also as my area was once a cane ground like most areas in Barbados. Expect an invasion of African Snails and Termites soon as they seek cooler area, mark my word!